Page 94 of Wickedly Played
I rub the back of my neck.
Franky stands behind me with his hand on my shoulder. “Continue, Doc.”
He shifts again. “I will say, I’m surprised I was called by the McDougals this time to treat a McGuire,” he murmurs haughtily.
“I am not a McGuire anymore,” Serena calls out from the bed.
I look over at my girl, who is draped in the bathrobe, and even though she’s bruised, she is still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. “Baby, you’re supposed to be in bed.”
She walks toward me and looks down at the couch. My eyes flash to hers, following her silent directions, and then she flicks her gaze from me to the sofa again. I flop on the couch, gather her in my arms, and hold her on my lap. “All you had to do was ask,” I chide.
With Serena’s head tucked into my neck, I feel her lips pressed against my ear. “I can’t be alone right now.”
“Go on, Doc,” Franky says again.
“Serena’s drug screens lit up pretty colorfully, which is why they were able to subdue her. None of the drugs will have long-term effects on her, so we shouldn’t have anything to worry about. However, she will feel out of it for a while. Nothing on her body is broken, but when the drugs wear off, she will feel pain from the beating and from the…”
“From the rape,” she whispers.
I clutch her closer to me. “I’m so fucking sorry, baby.”
“Joey has my number if you need anything more from me.” He gathers the rest of his things to leave, but wavers for a second to look at Serena. “Sweetie, I’m glad you’re back and away from your dad. Lorcan and Connor… Anyway. Please take care of her.”
Franky, Joey, Armando, and Mario are in the room with us as I hold Serena close to me. She whimpers lightly from the conversation and from the exertion of breathing.
“You’re killing me, baby,” I confess, kissing her hair.
“Max, we’re going to go. I’ll keep someone posted at the door until we can get you guys to a safe house,” Franky calls out.
“Sweetness, I’ll be right back,” I promise. I’m sliding her off of me onto the couch to follow my men out.
The second the door closes, separating me from the woman I love, the woman I failed, everything comes crashing down on me. I form a fist and punch a hole into the wall next to the mirror—the mirror clatters against the wall before falling off and breaking on the floor.
“My own brother. My own fucking brother!” I seethe.
“I wish he were still alive so we could kill him again for the amount of bull shit he’s caused this family,” Franky utters.
“I hate him! He has fucked with me so much, and now this? He couldn’t just let me be happy. He had to stalk my woman. He kidnapped her. He raped her. He… He was going to force her to marry him! Franky, I’m so fucking pissed right now, I can’t fucking-”
Suddenly, there is a scream piercing the air from our room. It happens again, with me grabbing my card and then letting myself into the room. Immediately, I see Serena lying on the floor in a ball, her body curled up in the robe. She’s sobbing.
“Baby,” I whisper gently. I don’t want to spook her.
“Max.”
“Come on.” Lifting her off the floor, I carry her into the room, laying her back onto the bed, and then strip out of my clothes to hold her to me. This is the first time we have lain next to each other without me getting hard.
Serena scoffs next to me. “What?” I ask her.
“I was just wondering what it would be like to be held by you again.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t sure if you would want to be anywhere near me.”
I hold her tighter. “I always want you.”
“Even after… Adam…”
